Venting arrangement for a domestic appliance



y 1965 R. s. BRADEN 3,193,340

VENTING ARRANGEMENT FOR A DOMESTIC APPLIANCE Filed May 18, 1964 i 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I 1! I 7/ k I a v /E w i6 Lal/ i I I w a Z I I 5 1V 1 6k 5 q zz 2% 1N VEN TOR.

Ra 2 0): 5. Braden BY H23 AYTORNE Y July 6, 1965 R. s. BRADEN 3,193,340

vmmne ARRANGEMENT FOR A DOMESTIC APPLIANCE Filed May 18, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

3422 0): 5'. Braden BY H16 ATTORMEY United States Patent 3,193,340 VENTENG ARRANGEMENT A BSRESTIU APFLEANEE Ralph S. Braden, lleilbroolr, Ghio, assignor to General Riotors OIPOYE3fi0K1, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Filed May 18, E354, Ser. No. 368,247 4 (Ziaims. ((11. 312-213) This invention relates to a domestic appliance and more particularly to an improved venting arrangement for a dishwasher.

Dishwashing is accomplished by distributing water in a closed, watertight dishwashing chamber. In order to aid drying in dishwashers, it is desirable to provide venting duct means between the dishwashing chamber and the outside atmosphere for venting steam through the wall of the chamber. In addition to the venting duct means, modern dishwashers incorporate various dispensers in one or more walls of the dishwashing chamber in order to add washing agents at selected portions of the dishwashing cycle. Wherever such auxiliary devices are attached to the wall of the dishwashing chamber, there exists the possibility of water leakage and consequent damage to the electrical components associated therewith.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved arrangement for sealing auxiliary equipment attached to the walls of a dishwashing chamber.

A further object of this invention is the provision of mating plastic parts which are self-sealing when the parts are assembled.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a vent duct arrangement for a dishwasher door which provides for exhausting steam from the dishwashing chamber'in a manner which prevents condensation from reaching the interior of the door.

Further objects and advantages of the resent invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a dishwasher provided with this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the improved venting arrangement taken along line 2-2 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary elevational view taken in the direction of 3 in FEGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary sectional view, partly in elevation, taken along line 4 i in FiG-URE 3;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view, partly in elevation, taken along line 5-5 in FEGURE 3 to show the self-sealing facet of this invention; and

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view similar to FIGURE 5 with the parts exploded to shown their condition before the parts are sealingly assembled into the View of FIG- URE 5.

In accordance with this invention and with reference to FIGURES 1 and Z, a dishwasher it? is shown with a front door or closure means 2" having a steam vent outlet assembly 13 in an upper portion thereof. Such an outlet assembly is designed in a manner described hereinafter to provide for exhausting steam from the interior or dishwashing chamber 15 of the dishwasher without exhausting any of the dishwashing spray.

Turning now to FEGURE 2, the dishwasher door is shown provided with a front panel 16 having an opening 18 for receiving a vent escutcheon l4. Spaced from the front door panel is? is a rear or inner door panel 2i having an opening 22 therein beneath the opening 18 ddhdfidh Patented July 6, i965 in the outer door panel. A generally ilat, L-shaped door vent conduit or duct means 2 of polypropylene or other suitable material interconnects the inner door panel opening 22 and the outer door panel opening 18 for venting steam therethrough to the atmosphere through the escutcheon 14. An integral peripheral flange portion 26 circumscribes the inlet end of the duct 24 and is adapted to lie in juxtaposition to the inner door panel 2%). For attaching the duct 24 to the inner door panel the flange 26 is provided with countersunk holes 30 to receive fastoning means such as a screw 32 (FIGURE 4).

'A sponge-like neoprene elastomeric gasket 4d circumscribes the inlet end of the door vent duct means between the undercut peripheral flange 26 thereof and the inner door panel 2t Note in FIGURE 6 that the gasket 4i? is thicker than the flange recess 42 which retains it in order to effect a more perfect seal between the peripheral flange 26 and the plastisol-coated inner door panel 2i) as screws 32 are drawn tight.

in order to prevent water from spraying into the door vent duct 24 while still exhausting steam therethrough, a door vent cover or deflector means or portion 34 of polypropylene or other suitably deformable material is spaced from the surface of the peripheral flange 2-6 and the inlet to the duct by four integral side leg means 36 on opposite sides of the door vent cover and a pair of integral end leg means or leg portions 38 at opposite ends of the cover or deflector portion. Note that the ends of the side leg means 36 are dished out at 39 (FIG- URE 4) to receive the heads of screws 32 and to enclose same in a water-free area.

In accordance with this invention, a novel sealing arrangement is utilized which provides for a Water seal about the point of attachment of auxiliary equipment, such as the door vent assembly 13, to a washing chamber wall 20. With reference to FIGURE 6, the end leg means 38 are provided with a hole 46 therethrough for receiving a fastening means such as a screw 4-8 having a tapered head 5d. One end of the hole 46 is countersunk or ported at 51 and provided with a flat annular shoulder portion 52. At the other end or port of the hole 46, the flat end surface 54 of the leg means is provided with a circular raised rib 58 flanked on each side thereof by a pair of valleys so.

As the door vent cover 34 is assembled to the inner door panel 20 (FIGURE 5), the shoulder 52 of the countersunk portion 51 interferes with and, thus, crushes or deforms at 53 against the tapered head 5d of the fastening means, thereby forming a watertight seal circumscribing the screw at this point. Further, the integral rib 58 bites into the flat mating surface 6 3 of the peripheral flange 2.6 to form an interlocking watertight seal circumscribing the screw 48 along the jointure 66 between the door vent cover and the door vent duct. Penetration of moisture through attachment points in the panel 2i} is, thus, prevented by the self-sealing design of the plastic cover 34.

It should now be seen that an improved venting arrangement for a dishwasher has been provided including a novel seal wherein an integral protrusion on one of a pair of mating parts serves to deformably cooperate with the other of said parts to effect a watertight seal along the jointure therewith.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. in combination with a dishwasher door having inner and outer panels, a door vent comprising, plastic duct means extending through the door between said panels for venting the dishwasher, said duct means having a ported deformable peripheral flange in juxtaposition to said inner panel for attachment thereto and defining an opening, deflector means at least coextensive with said opening for shielding said opening at said inner panel, and leg means for said deflector means engaging said peripheral flange for spacing said deflector means from said peripheral flange to form a passageway communicating with said opening, and means for attaching said deflector means, said leg means and said duct means to said inner panel, said leg means having a port and first integral and deformable rib means at one end thereof circumscribing said port along the plane of jointure of said leg means with said peripheral flange, said leg means having second integral and deformable rib means at the other end thereof along a plane of jointtu'e of said leg means with said attachment means, said attachment means extending through the port in said leg means and said peripheral flange for attaching said deflector means and said peripheral flange in assembled relationship to said inner panel and for deforming said first rib means and said peripheral flange and for deforming said second rib means against said attachment means during said attachment, whereby to seal around said fastening means to prevent moisture from gaining access to said door along said planes of jointure.

2. In combination with a dishwasher door having inner and outer panels, a door vent comprising, duct means extending through the door between said panels for venting the dishwasher, said duct means having a ported deformable peripheral flange in juxtaposition to said inner panel for attachment thereto and defining an opening, deflector means at least coextensive with said opening for shielding said opening at said inner panel, and leg means for said deflector means engaging said peripheral flange for spacing said deflector means from said peripheral flange to form a passageway communicating with said opening, and means for attaching said deflector means, said leg means and said duct means to said inner panel, said leg means having a port and integral and deformable rib means at one end thereof circumscribing said port along the plane of jointure of said leg means with said peripheral flange, said attachment means extending through the port in said leg means and said peripheral flange for attaching said deflector means and said peripheral flange in assembled relationship to said inner panel and for deforming said rib means and said peripheral flange during said attachment, whereby to seal around said fastening means to prevent moisture from gaining access to said door along said plane of jointure.

3. In combination with a dishwasher door having inner and outer panels, a door vent comprising, duct means extending through the door between said panels for venting the dishwasher, said uct means having a ported deformable flange portion in juxtaposition to said inner panel for attachment thereto and defining an opening, deflector means at least partially coextensive with said opening for shielding said opening at said inner panel,

and leg means between said deflector means and said flange portion for spacing said deflector means from said flange portion to form a passageway communicating with said opening, and means for attaching said deflector means, said leg means and said duct means to said inner panel, said leg means having a port coaxial with the port in said flange portion, one of said flange portions or said leg means having integral and deformable rib means circumscribing said port along the plane of jointure of said leg means with said flange portion, said attachment means extending through the port in said leg means and said flange portion for attaching said deflector means and said flange portion in assembled relationship to said inner panel and for deforming said rib means and the other one of said flange portion or said leg means during said attachment, whereby to seal around said fastening means to prevent moisture from gaining access to said door along said plane of jointure.

4. In combination with a dishwasher door having inner and outer panels, a door vent comprising, duct means extending through the door between said panels for venting the dishwasher, said duct means having a ported deformable flange portion in juxtaposition to said inner panel for attachment thereto and defining an opening, a ported deformable deflector portion at least partially coextensive with said opening for shielding said opening at said inner panel, and a leg portion between said deflector portion and said flange portion for spacing said deflector portion from said flange portion to form a passageway communicating with said opening, and means for attaching said deflector portion said leg portion and said duet means to said inner panel, said leg portion having a port coaxial with the ports in said flange portion and said deflector portion, deformable rib means between two of said portions and integral with one of said two portions and circumscribing said port along the plane of jointure of said two portions, said attachment means extending through the port in said deflector portion, said leg portion and said flange portion for attaching said deflector portion and said flange portion in assembled relationship to said inner panel and for deforming said rib means and the other of said two portions during said attachment, whereby to seal around said fastening means to prevent moisture from gaining access to said door along said plane of jointure References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,506,646 8/24 Kolstad 232-- X 2,560,092 7/51 De La Mater 220-8l 2,871,082 1/59 Karig 312-213 3,024,074 3/62 Jacobs 312213 3,074,579 1/63 Miller 215-41 3,123,245 3/64 Dumpis 220-245 FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Examiner. 

3. IN COMBINATION WITH A DISHWASHER DOOR HAVING INNER AND OUTER PANELS, A DOOR VENT COMPRISING, DUCT MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH THE DOOR BETWEEN SAID PANELS FOR VENTING THE DISHWASHER, SAID UCT MEANS HAVING A PORTED DEFORMABLE FLANGE PORTION IN JUXTAPOSITION TO SAID INNER PANEL FOR ATTACHMENT THERETO AND DEFINING AN OPENING, DEFLECTOR MEANS AT LEAST PARTIALLY COEXTENSIVE WITH SAID OPENING FOR SHIELDING SAID OPENING AT SAID INNER PANEL, AND LEG MEANS BETWEEN SAID DEFLECTOR MEANS AND SAID FLANGE PORTION FOR SPACING SAID DEFLECTOR MEANS FROM SAID FLANGE PORTION TO FORM A PASSAGEWAY COMMUNICATING WITH SAID OPENING, AND MEANS FOR ATTACHING SAID DEFLECTOR MEANS, SAID LEG MEANS AND SAID DUCT MEANS TO SAID INNER PANEL, SAID LEG MEANS HAVING A PORT COAXIAL WITH THE PORT IN SAID FLANGE PORTION, ONE OF SAID FLANGE PORTIONS OR SAID LEG MEANS HAVING INTEGRAL AND DEFORMABLE RIB MEANS CIRCUMSCRIBING SAID PORT ALONG THE PLANE OF JOINTURE OF SAID LEG MEANS WITH SAID FLANGE PORTION, SAID ATTCHMENT 